Quick disconnect coupling



Jgn. 25, 1944. M, p, GRAHAM 3,340,119

QUIoK nIsooNNEcT couPLING Filed Jan. 5, 1942 Patented Jan. 25, 1944 asians QUICK nIscoNNEc'r coULrNG Matthew vP. Graham, Detroit, Mich., assignor to'- Thompson Products Incorporated, Ohio. a corporation ot Ohio a applwauon January 5, 1942, serial No.425,s`8s

Cleveland, 9

3 Claims. lCl. 137-*69) f This invention relates to a device for connecting the ends of conduits to place'them in full fluid flow communication and for sealing the ends of the conduits when the same are disconnected.

More particularly, Ithis invention relates to a coupling including'a'pair of passagedparts equipped with plug type'valves anda telescoping sleeve for holding the parts in end to vencl relation whereby the valves can be opened and a such as lead orl encor of. theY partsoan be covered with a"resilie'nt "material such: as an artificial rubber which is resistantto th action of oils andlgasolin'es... Y

It is, then.l an object of theinventionjto provide an* inexpensive quick ,disconnect :pounding andl seal fortheendsoi conduitsu Another object of thel invention isfv to, Iprovide clear fluid passage free from obstructions pro-- vided through the coupling.

The deviceA of this invention is adapted for coupling togetherI the ends of tubes. pipes or conduits in general to place the same in unrestricted communication and to sealV the ends thereof when the coupling Vis broken. The de-v vice of the invention is especially useful in any system wherein conduits must be coupled together in fluid flow communication and must be uncoupled and sealed against loss of iluid therein. The device` is especially useful in airplanes' to form a quick disconnect coupling in the airplane fuel line, oil line orv the like, permitting dismounting of the airplanev engine without draining any of the supply tanks for the engine.

' In accordance with this invention'a pair of mating conduit parts are equipped with pet cocks or plug type valves. These conduit parts are adapted to be mounted in end to end relation for dening a clear passage therethrough when the pet cocks or valves are open. Each conduit part is xedly carried by a pipe, hose or the like passaged member. The conduit parts have a. circular cross section: but are provided with diametric'ally opposed flat sides.- When the parts are placed in abutting relation, av

sleeve-like housing is adapted to be slipped thereover and rotated through one-quarter turn for lockingtheparts in coupled relation. The housing hasran abutting shoulder for one of the parts and a. pair of pins for abutting the other of the parts. The pins are spaced apart in the housing for a sufficient distance to permit passage of -the ilat sides of the parts therebetween but when the housingisrotated one-quarter turn relative to the parts, the pins will preventremoval of the parts from the sleeeve and will hold the parts in thrusting end to end relation. The sleeve-like housing is apertured so that a screw driver or other tool can be inserted therein to actuate the pet cocks or plug valves of the parts. A gasket may be interposed between the parts to prevent leakage. Alternately one of the parts can have a softmetal face *parts with a sleevetwhiclif of plug valves in endl'toend relation intenti@ is t0 Aj stm "further object;

provide a coupling ,includ g a-.plurgalitoi lualved locks-trieb liis to-` gether upon relative, rotationthei'eto.. ,f

A further objectof this inventionis.to provide a coupling which seals lconduit ends Vwhen the same are disconnected,and."whiehyioins the conduit ends in iluidiiow,communicationupon quarter-turn rotations of ,asleeve-and a v'p'airof valves. a, .i .i "fo:

Other and further .objectszxof thefinvention will be apparent :to thoseskilled-in the art from the following detailed :descriptionoi :the J annexed sheet ofy drawings which, by' `way of preferred example, illustrates one embodiment ofthe invention.. 1 V

On the drawing: 1' Figure 11s-a side elevational 'viewfoi afcoupling according to this -inventionillustrating the same as Yc onnectng Ithe ends of a pair of conduits.

Figure-2 is a fragment-.aryA lougm'iom sectional view'taken along thefflin Figure 1. 1 .Figure v3 Ais Va transverse cross-sectional view taken along the line III- 111.01 Figurel.' Figure! is a longitudinal cross-sectional view taken along the line I VIYoi' Figure?y but illustrating the plug" Avalves opened position.

rFigure" 5 is an exploded side elevational Mew.

with parts broken away and shown invertical cross section, offtl'ie elements in thepoupling of this invention. o i

Figure 6 is an end elevational viewy along the line VI-VI of Figure 4.

2,840,119 v shoulders 20 as described above. Additional recesses 29 can be provided in the sleeve I6 to receive the detents 28 of the valve housing I4 when the sleeve is rotated toruncouple the parts.-

.the coupling or uncoupling operation.

From the above descriptions it will be under- .stood that the device of this invention includes two valve housings adapted to be placed in end to end relation. Each of these valve housings carries a plug type valve or petcock which can be manually rotated to open or close the housing. A sleeve telescopes the valve housings and is equipped with means for locking the same in end to end relation. The coupling is connected by quarter-turn rotation of the sleeve. 'I'he plugs or pet cocks in each of the valve housings are continuously urged into full seating engagement with the housings thereby preventing leakage. The locking means in the sleeve can be somewhat resilient so as to continually thrust against valve housings thereby maintaining the vsame in tight face thrusting relation.

It will, or course, be understood that various details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this inventionv and it is, therefore, not

to receive the valve housings therein, said sleeve having an internal shoulder adapted to thrust against the shoulders on one of the valve hous- Ying heads, and locking instrumentalities in'said sleeve -in spaced relation from said shoulder adapted to thrust against the shoulders of the other valve housing head when the sleeve is rotated to coupling position and adapted to clear the valve housings along the flat portions thereof to permit separation of the housings in anothe position of the sleeve. I

2. A quick disconnect coupling comprising a pair of passaged petcock carrying members,-

s'aid members having complementary faces for positioning the members in end to end relation to connect the passages thereof, and a sleeve adapted to be telescoped over the members to hold the same in end to end relation, said Vsleeve having apertures therethrough giving access to the petcocks whereby the same'can be rotated to open position after the petcock carrying members are held in end to end lrelation by the sleeve.

3. A quick disconnect coupling for joining the ends of conduits which comprises a pair of hollow valve housings having threaded nipples for connection to the conduit ends, each of said valve housings havingy an enlarged head with segmental cylindrical sidewalls and flattened side walls, plugs rotatably mounted in the valve heads having the ends thereof exposed at thev attened side walls of the head, said plugs having apertures therethrough for opening and closing the passages in the valves, shoulders between the heads and Shanks of the valve housings, and a locking sleeve having abutment means for said shoulders to hold the heads in abutting relation for joining the passages therethrough, one of the abutment means of said sleeve adapted in one position of the sleeve to permit separation of the valve members whereby the parts can be alternately connected and dis' connected by rotation of said sleeve.

vlVIA'l'IHiiilV P. GRAHAM. Y 

